The Death of Socrates hangs in the Forum Monday, February 27, 2012 By Cody Stayden The recreation reflects Walnut’s classically-based curriculum. - Cody Stayden Advertising This painting, seen by most passing the Forum, is a beautiful recreation of Jacques-Louis David’s The Death of Socrates. This scene depicts the death of the famous Greek philosopher Socrates defiantly accepting his condemnation. The painting also includes representations of other notable philosophers of the time.Plato sits on the left of the bed, while Crito grasps the knee of Socrates. In the center of the painting sits Socrates, who clasps onto the goblet of hemlock. Socrates, an influential philosopher and teacher who pioneered such ideas as his namesake, the Socratic Method,  was most widely known for the Socratic Method, was condemned to death in 399 B.C. for his criticisms on a democratic system that the Athenian government had adapted at the time. This rendition of Jacques-Louis David’s original painting holds true to its predecessor yet, unlike the original, uses a vibrant color palette that brings out the figures within the painting. It is one of the few paintings that has continued to hang in the Forum throughout the years.

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